While the Skype port made for Windows Phone 8 got a leaked video presentation earlier in October, Microsoft and Skype have now formally revealed its plans to launch its popular VoIP client for Windows Phone 8.

In a post on the official Skype blog, the team says that the Windows Phone 8 app is not a redesign of its previously released app for Windows Phone 7.5 but "a completely new app from the ground up to be an important part of the Windows Phone experience."

Of course, this new Skype client can both send and receive voice, text and video messages. However, Skype says, "For the first time, incoming Skype calls arrive using the familiar incoming call screen from Windows Phone. We have also included useful new features such as call waiting, so switching between a Skype call and a regular mobile call is fast and easy."

The new version of Live Tiles for Windows Phone 8 can be resized and the Skype live tiles will show unread messages no matter what the size of the tile might be. In fact, the blog says, " ... with the largest size tile we show you a preview of the last message you received."

Skype notifications can also be added to the lock screen in Windows Phone 8, letting users quickly see what messages they have missed without going into the app itself. So far, the new version of Skype has yet to be released to the Windows Phone Store.